THE LATEST MARIO KART Wii COMPETITION AWAITS ONLINE.

Melbourne Australia, 6 November 2008 - Nintendo has thrown down the gauntlet for Mario Kart Wii racers worldwide. Now it’s time to see who’s up to the challenge, as players take on the world in Mario Kart Wii Tournaments.

Every few weeks, a new tournament will appear on the Mario Kart Channel, an online feature that not only allows players to compete in tournaments, but also exchange race data with friends. Tournaments might take the form of a challenge for players to race a certain course as fast as they can with specific characters, or to collect a number of coins on a course using the Wii Wheel accessory or another control setup. They can feature unique rules or obstacles on the course.

Our newest contest runs from 1 November to 20 November Now’s the time to get online and show you’re the best!

Collect the coins hidden in the leaf piles scattered around Maple Treeway. Watch out for the Wigglers!

Your best time will be recorded and added to the worldwide rankings, allowing players to see how they stack up against the best racers from around the world. You can submit as many times as you like!

So turn on your Wii and go to the Mario Kart Channel to get in on this contest. For more information about Mario Kart Wii’s many online options, visit the official Mario Kart Wii game site. Mario Kart Wii is available now, only on Wii.

Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Wi-Fi Missions Announced

Melbourne Australia, 21 October 2008 - The all new Pokémon Ranger adventure, Pokémon™ Ranger: Shadows of Almia, will allow you to download very rare Special Missions by connecting to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. When the game launches on 13 November there will be two Special Missions waiting to be downloaded: “Recover the Manaphy Egg!” and “Rescue Kidnapped Riolu!”.

When you complete these Missions, you will be able to transfer the Manaphy Egg and Riolu to your copy of either Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl. To receive these Special Missions, go to Ranger Net from the Main Menu and download them via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Learn How to Download Special Missions on Ranger Net

Setting Up Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

You will first need to establish a wireless Internet connection to use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. From the Main Menu, select “Ranger Net” then “Nintendo WFC Settings” to configure the DS system. For more information on connecting to Nintendo WFC and for additional assistance when setting up your connection, please refer to the official Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection website at www.NintendoWiFi.com.

Searching for Missions Over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Follow these procedures for downloading Missions over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection:

-Touch and select “Ranger Net” on the Main Menu.
-Touch “Seek New Missions.”
-Touch “Search by Nintendo WFC.”
-You will be asked if you want to connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Touch the “Yes” icon.
-The downloadable Missions are displayed. Touch and select the Mission to be downloaded.
-When downloading is completed, the downloaded Mission can be played by touching “Play a New Mission” in the Ranger Net Menu.

*Once downloaded, the Missions may be unplayable until certain game conditions are met. Missions available for a limited time only.

LATEST VIRTUAL CONSOLE AND

WiiWARE GAMES AVAILABLE ON Wii

Melbourne, Australia, 10 October, 2008 – Two new WiiWare games are now available for download on Wii. Midnight Bowling and Potpourrii.

Midnight Bowling

Plunge directly into the trendy and electric atmosphere of Midnight Bowling!

With awesome playing sensations, prepare for ultra-fun gaming thanks to a new physics engine that lets you control your throws precisely and easily with your Wii Remote and make spectacular spins that will impress your opponents!

Face up to 3 friends in the fun Party mode where your playing abilities will be put to the test! Whatever your level, launch yourself into the immersive career mode where you will play in the trendiest bowling spots of the planet against charismatic characters that will give you a run for your money!

Potpourrii

In the puzzle game Potpourrii, everything revolves around the seasons.

For centuries, the seasons have followed a set pattern. But then things start to go awry in the forest. Suddenly, it’s snowing while the sun shines and flowers bloom while leaves are falling. Then a strange purple goo appears. The leprechauns are stunned. Even worse, the magic oak of life loses its power.

It all turns out to be the fault of an evil wizard. You must help the leprechauns defeat him and restore natural order. To do this you need to collect seasonal spirits. Pick them up with the spirit cannon, shoot them at the centre of the screen, group them and make them disappear. But watch out - they get faster and faster!
In short:
- A puzzle game that keeps you hooked
- Colourful visuals and beautiful effects
- Easy to use Wii Remote controls
- Play alone or with a second player
- Use your Mii character

Melbourne, Australia, 3 October, 2008 – Megadrive games Earthworm Jim™ and Shining Force™ II are now available for download on Wii

Earthworm Jim

Jim was just an ordinary earthworm who did regular earthworm-like things such as flee from crows and eat dirt. One day, during a grand space battle overhead, a super suit drops to Earth and lands around Jim - and transforms him into a large and intelligent (at least by earthworm standards) superhero! Then, when Jim learns of the evil plans of Psy-Crow and Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, he jumps into action and resolves to rescue the beautiful Princess What’s-Her-Name!

Play as Jim in this zany, madcap SEGA MEGA DRIVE adventure! Run, gun, swing on hooks by your (worm) head and launch cows at the quirky villains you meet along the way, such as Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat and Bob the Killer Goldfish. Groovy!

Shining Force II

It’s a dark and stormy night in the kingdom of Granseal, when a thief steals two jewels from the Tower of the Ancients, which sets in motion strange events that lead to the resurrection of Zeon, the Devil King! Granseal’s king falls sick, the princess is kidnapped and a door to Arc Valley, the Devil King’s home, is opened.

The young swordsman Bowie, realising the grave danger Granseal faces, must lead the Shining Force to find the Holy Sword and the stolen jewels, and protect Granseal against the invading armies of the evil Zeon.

NINTENDO IN NEW ZEALAND

Melbourne, Australia, 29 August, 2008 - New Zealand will soon see an abundance of Wii™ and Nintendo DS® products hit the shelves in retail stores, as Nintendo announces that from 1 September 2008 New Zealand will be home to a strong supply of Nintendo products. To support this, Nintendo will undertake an active advertising and marketing campaign throughout New Zealand.

The advertising campaign will kick off with Olivia Newton-John testing her Brain Training™ skills on Nintendo DS, and will also include activity for Wii Sports™ and Wii Fit™. The advertising and marketing campaign will include key Nintendo products, with five Nintendo DS, and six Wii advertising campaigns planned between 1 September and Christmas 2008.

Nintendo is known for its innovative and intuitive products, Wii and Nintendo DS, which are easy to pick up and play.

The appeal of the Wii is that it has something for everyone. From Wii Fit to Mario Kart™ Wii, gamers and non-gamers alike will find something that will appeal. Wii is easy to pick up and play - with Mario Kart Wii, players simply pick up the Wii Wheel™ and steer to begin racing, and with tennis in Wii Sports the Wii Remote is used as a tennis racquet.

Nintendo DS revolutionises handheld game play. With two ultra bright screens, 3D graphics, touch-screen technology and wireless communication, players can challenge themselves or their friends anywhere, anytime. Nintendo DS brings multiple features together to deliver cutting-edge games for fans of every genre, a great library of games including nintendogs™, Brain Training and The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass means there’s something for everyone.

Nintendo is also known for the Touch! Generations range. Titles that include the Touch! Generations logo are games that are easy to pick up and play no matter what your gaming experience or skill level. Nintendo’s Touch! Generations titles can help you train your brain, play sudoku, brush up on your maths skills, exercise your eyes and connect with people thousands of miles away. They can be enjoyed on those quiet moments for yourself, or together with the whole family. Games in the Touch! Generations range include Wii Fit, Big Brain Academy™ for Wii, Endless Ocean™, Wii Sports, Brain Training, More Brain Training™, Sight Training™, Clubhouse Games™, nintendogs, Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? and Tetris® DS among others. Visit http://www.touchgenerations.com/ for more information.

Nintendo Connection Tour

Winners Photo’s

Melbourne Australia, 28 July, 2008 - After a Nationwide Tour that saw players of all ages compete in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Challenge, The Nintendo Connection Tour 08 has come to a close. Congratulations to all of the winners.

Australia, here are your Super Smash Bros. Brawl champions!

Todd Schaefer

QLD - Chermside Day 1 Champion

Todd Selki

QLD - Chermside Day 2 Champion

Jeff Hawthorne

QLD - Carindale Day 1 Champion

Ian Calligeros

QLD - Carindale Day 2 Champion

Bjorn Truong

NSW - Chatswood Day 1 Champion

Robert Lacona-Ryde

NSW - Chatswood Day 2 Champion

Stefan Vongmany

NSW - Parramatta Day 1 Champion

Alan Gewargis

WA - Carousel Day 1 Champion

Jonathan Francois

WA - Carousel Day 2 Champion

David Moore

VIC - Fountain Gate Day 1 Champion

Chris Forster

VIC - Fountain Gate Day 2 Champion

William Burton

VIC - Southland Day 1 Champion

Ahmet Yucel

VIC - Southland Day 2 Champion

George Brandon

SA- Marion Day 1 Champion

Keirron Stach

SA- Marion Day 2 Champion

Wii Breaks Record

- Plus new titles for Wii and Nintendo DS Announced -

Australia, 23 July, 2008 – Nintendo announces that Wii™ is officially the fastest selling home console to sell through 500,000* units in Australia, plus information on new titles for both Wii and Nintendo DS.

Independent market research company GfK Australia, confirms that 84 weeks since it launched, Wii has sold more than 500,000 units, making it the fastest selling home console to reach this milestone. Previously, the console that held this record, reached it in 107 weeks, which makes Wii 23 weeks faster.

Wii launched in December 2006 and the appeal of the Wii is that it has something for everyone. From Wii Fit™ to Mario Kart™ Wii, gamers and non-gamers alike will find something that will appeal. Game play with Wii is intuitive, for example with Mario Kart Wii players simply pick up the Wii Wheel™ and steer to begin racing, and with Wii™ Sports tennis the Wii Remote is used as a tennis racquet. This unique game play aspect with the Wii Remote ensures anyone can pick up and play.

Upcoming releases for Wii include:

Trauma Center™: Second Opinion, available 28 August. The Nintendo DS® surgical simulator comes to Wii with updated graphics, a second playable character, a new sixth chapter and new instruments to wield. In Trauma Center: Second Opinion you take the role of rookie doctor Derek Stiles, a surgeon with the extraordinary ‘Healing Touch’ ability. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk you can manipulate more than a dozen different instruments on-screen in realistic ways, such as injecting with syringes, making incisions with scalpels, removing tumours with tweezers, and bringing patients back to life with defibrillators.

Available 25 September, also on Wii will be Wario Land™: The Shake Dimension. Using the unique features of Wii and featuring stunning, cartoon-like graphics and animation, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension casts the larger-than-life Wario in a classic 2D-style platformer that spans contrasting continents crammed with adventure. Playing with the Wii Remote held sideways, you’ll be able to overcome enemies by using special moves that are activated with a simple shake or tilt.

Nintendo DS currently has an install base of more than 1.2 million units, which demonstrates that Nintendo DS continues to be the popular choice for all consumers. The week commencing 6 July was the highest individual week of sell through for Nintendo DS hardware in Australia, with more than 49,000 units sold. This was largely driven by sales of Touch! Generations games including Brain Training™, More Brain Training™, Sight Training™, Maths Training™, Cooking Guide™: Can’t decide what to eat? and nintendogs™. Touch! Generations games are a range of games that are perfect for any age or skill level to pick up and play.

Nintendo DS also has unique and innovative games including Animal Crossing™, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass®, New Super Mario Bros.™ and Mario Kart® DS.

Available on Nintendo DS 14 August will be Etrian Odyssey™, as a new adventure begins in the forest known as Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Create your own maps on the Nintendo DS touch screen as you explore using the stylus; draw paths and walls, mark special locations and experience true exploration.

Make 10™: A Journey of Numbers arrives on Nintendo DS 4 September, making maths fun for everyone. In Make 10: A Journey of Numbers, players explore the world of ‘Make 10 Country’ by solving various maths problems, all centered around the idea of getting 10 and its multiples as a result. With more than 20 maths mini games, Make 10: A Journey of Numbers is easily controlled by the stylus as player tap, write, drag and drop numbers on the touch screen to solve the games.

Available October on Nintendo DS is Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™. Players seek out cleverly hidden items in this seek-and-solve game as they progress through an interactive detective story. Interactive puzzles utlise the touch screen and the built in Nintendo DS microphone, as you investigate a cast of characters and uncover evidence as you search for the rightful heir to a million dollar fortune.

*All sell through and market share information courtesy of GfK Australia

Nintendo E3 Announcements

Melbourne Australia, 17 July, 2008 - Nintendo recently unveiled the following exciting announcements at the E3 Media and Business Summit in Los Angeles:

Wii MotionPlus

An enhancement for the Wii Remote controller, Wii MotionPlus, will more quickly and accurately reflect motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attached to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion.

The long awaited sequel to Wii Sports is coming - Wii Sports Resort. Wii Sports Resort will come packaged with the Wii MotionPlus accessory to provide incredibly realistic motion experience in new games including Sword Play, Power Cruising and Disc Dog.

Animal Crossing makes its way to Wii with Animal Crossing: City Folk. Connect with other players in new ways using WiiConnect 24, or chat with other players on the new WiiSpeak microphone as you move into a fun community populated by quirky animals.

Also available on Wii will be Wii Music – jam to tunes even if you don’t know anything about music! With more than 60 different instruments you can strum, shake, tap and drum along in a musical playground where there are no mistakes. Come up with creative arrangements which you can send to your friends via WiiConnect24.

Nintendo DS remains on top with more than 40 million units sold worldwide. New titles for Nintendo DS include Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. Play as a Pokémon Ranger as you work to help people in a new area called Almia Region, meet and capture all kinds of different Pokémon as you progress to the highest Ranger rank: Top Ranger.

Coming exclusively to Nintendo DS will be a new entry in Rockstar Games’ award winning Grand Theft Auto franchise - Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Another exclusive title for Nintendo DS will be Activision’s Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, and Nintendo DS will also welcome wild and wonderful critters with Spore Creatures from Electronic Arts.

Australia, 26 June, 2008 – Not sure what meal to cook today? Let Nintendo DS® help you choose, prepare and cook a variety of international dishes with Cooking Guide™: Can’t decide what to eat?. Available 3 July 2008, Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? is an interactive cook book on Nintendo DS, with more than 250 recipes and your own expert chef!

The Nintendo DS chef will guide you through simple steps to help you prepare a variety of dishes, as the Nintendo DS becomes your cooking companion.

Browse the world map to select which country you would like a recipe from; choose your recipe via difficulty levels, so you can start with an easy or challenging recipe depending on your preference. You can even select your recipe by your favourite ingredients, for example choose chicken to see the range of chicken based recipes that you can cook. Or why not choose your recipe based on how many calories you want, or don’t want, to consume!

Once you’ve selected a recipe, you’ll be given a list of utensils you will need to cook the dish. If you’re not sure what a particular utensil is, simply tap on the name of it, to see a photograph and a brief explanation.

Next, check what ingredients you require, Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? will provide a check list, which you can actually mark off with the Nintendo DS stylus. If you are missing ingredients you can put them on the ‘Shopping List’ and even take your Nintendo DS with you to the supermarket. Once you’ve checked your ingredients you’re ready to work with the Nintendo DS chef on your meal.

As your hands will be busy preparing and cooking the ingredients, you can speak into the Nintendo DS’ microphone to progress through each stage of the recipe. The Nintendo DS chef will take you through each step with photos on screen and easy to follow spoken instructions.

Surprise the family with delicious meal ideas, whether you are an experienced cook, or learning to cook for the first time, Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? has something for everyone. Use the illustrated ‘Cooking A-Z’ feature to learn everything you need to know in the kitchen. The ‘Cooking A-Z’ feature will help you find substitute ingredients, and it can even explain specific techniques – how to julienne carrots and devein prawns - via tutorial videos.

If you’re pressed for time, Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? can recommend a recipe that’s quick to prepare and cook! So now there’s no excuse not to be eating delicious meals every time, as Cooking Guide: Can’t decide what to eat? caters for any meal situation.

Melbourne,Australia, 29 May, 2008 – Arriving 30 May on Wii™ will be Nintendo Channel, an interactive guide to what’s new in the world of Nintendo. Downloadable free of charge via Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo Channel allows you to watch videos, search for games, download game demos to your Nintendo DS® and recommend games you’ve played.

Watch videos – from trailers, mini-documentaries, TV commercials, product demonstrations and game play videos. When you access Nintendo Channel you can view the latest videos, simply click on the one you want to watch for it to play. More information about the video content will be forthcoming so stay tuned!

Search for games – browse the game guide pages to find information on your favourite Wii and Nintendo DS games. Search by release date, platform, publisher, genre, or by keywords. Once you find the game you’re looking for, click on the game’s title to find out more detailed information.

DS Download Play – using the DS Download Service, you can download game demos and videos on to your Nintendo DS! Choose a game demo, select ‘DS Download Play’ on your Nintendo DS, and moments later you’ll be playing the latest game demos. Your demos will be playable until the Nintendo DS is turned off.

Recommend games you’ve played – after you’ve played a Wii game for over an hour, the Nintendo Channel allows you to rate it. Everybody’s opinion counts! Enter your gender and age, rate the game, and recommend if you think it should be played alone or with friends. Results are then graphed and will be published on an ongoing basis to help you find games based on other people’s recommendations.

By accessing Nintendo Channel, you will be kept up-to-date on all the latest information for past, present and future games on all Nintendo platforms.

Wii is far more than just a game console; explore the other Wii Channels including, Mii Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, News Channel, Forecast Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Internet Channel, Photo Channel and Mii Contest Channel to discover entertainment and information that the whole family can enjoy.

A compatible internet connection is required to use the Nintendo Channel. Certain features of this channel also require that the Internet Channel be installed on your Wii.

Take your Nintendo DS to any Hotspot location to download and enjoy the fun and challenge of the latest Nintendo DS Games, including Brain Training, More Brain Training, Clubhouse Games, Picross DS, Big Brain Academy, Custom Robo and a Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass video.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots also feature unique Animal Crossing items you can download to your copy of the game, and a special Nintendogs function that allows Nintendogs owners to experience the joys of Bark Mode without having someone else physically there to play with.

Nintendo DS users can also enjoy Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DS at over 1,000 Telstra Wireless Hotspot destinations across Australia. Telstra Wireless Hotspot detinations do not allow the download of demo games, but you can use this complimentary service to access the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to interact and play with players around the world.

Australia, Melbourne, October 2, 2007 - Nintendo is committed to ensuring an innovative and unique game play experience on the Wii. To help players adapt to this new style of play and provide additional protection we have created a protective cover for the Wii Remote - the “Wii Remote Jacket”.

We recommend to fit the “Wii Remote Jacket” to the Wii Remote in order to enhance your grip and provide additional protection if the Wii Remote is accidentally thrown or dropped during game play.

For access to the latest official information, newsletters, competitions and special offers, be sure to register on the Members Club, in the Connect section. Be first with the latest news, direct from Nintendo Australia.